Born in Zürich, Fuseli trained as a priest, but never practiced, despite taking holy orders in 1761. He came to London in 1765 and was encouraged to paint by Reynolds. He studied in Rome before settling once more in England, where he established a reputation for producing ‘highly imaginative works that combine “Gothic” sublimity with over-excited sexuality’ (Hughes, University of Leeds 1985, no.11). This coupling permeates most of his work, and adds disturbing overtones to the literary subjects that formed the major part of his oeuvre. Fuseli made a large number of paintings of Shakespearian subjects, and contributed to John Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery. It is possible that the picture was once in the collection of the actress Harriet Mellon (1777?–1837), known to have played the part of Mistress Page, and who in 1815 married Thomas Coutts, a friend of Fuseli's and a founder of Coutts Bank.